Manakondur mini tank bund lies in negligence

The surroundings of Manakondur mini tank bund become dirty due to lack of maintenance. Moreover, it has become a safe zone for liquor consumption and other illegal activities

KARIMNAGAR: Manakondur mini tank bund has lost its charm due to negligence. The surroundings of the tank bund have become dirty due to lack of maintenance. Moreover, it has become a safe zone for liquor consumption and other illegal activities.

Located on the Karimnagar-Warangal main road, Manakondur Peddacheruvu was developed as a mini tank bund under the Mission Kakatiya (Phase II) program at a cost of Rs 5.70 crore.

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Besides strengthening the 1.2-kilometer distance bund, beautification works like the development of a park, railing, kerb walls, and others were taken up. Desilting, weir repair, restoration of irrigation canals, and Bathukamma ghat steps were also done.

However, with the authorities not paying any attention to the maintenance of the tank, Bathukamma Ghat became dirty with an accumulation of plastic covers, bottles, and other waste material. Railing arranged to bund is damaged in many places. Cracks are developed on the CC road laid on the bund.

To attract visitors, cement chairs of different shapes are arranged in different places of the bund. However, a majority of the chairs are now covered with fully grown trees, making the chairs practically unusable.

The authorities had then grown carpet grass on the roadside, making the bund look very beautiful; now the situation is that there is no trace of any carpet grass.

With the authorities turning a negligent eye on maintenance, the bund has now become a safe zone for vagabonds, who use it primarily for liquor consumption. As nobody goes up to the other end of the bund, people are consuming liquor and leaving beer and liquor bottles at the spot.

Manakondur Peddacheruvu is one of the three main immersion points, where a majority of the Ganesh idols from Karimnagar town would be immersed.

During the time of immersion, the surroundings of the tank will be cleaned, and lighting and other arrangements would be made. But immediately after the festival, no one bothers about the tank maintenance.

Speaking to Telangana Today, a villager, Rajender, said that except for the Ganesh immersion and Saddula Bathukamma festivals, officials would not bother about the tank in the rest of the year.

Since it was a big tank, many women from surrounding villages as well as Karimnagar town would immerse the Bathukammas in the water body. So, gram panchayat officials would make arrangements for Saddula Bathukamma celebrations. Similarly, arrangements would also be made for Ganesh immersion.

Though the tank bund was developed by spending huge amounts, it has now become useless due to lack of maintenance, he opined and wanted the officials to take steps to maintain the bund and provide entertainment to the public.